Planet Earth: The Complete Collection [Blu-ray] [2006] [US Import]

Before buying it I have red both positive and negative reviews. Most of the negative ones were about the poor quality of video in some parts of the documentary. Yes, there are some parts with noisy image or not so crystal clear. However, in most of the video the image is so sharp that sometimes you may have the feeling of not watching a TV but rather looking out of a window to the surrounding landscape. There is great depth of image and detail. Overall video quality is very high and yes, this is a must for any plasma owner and yes, it can be considered as a standard for video image quality. But there is so much more than image quality here. You will see things you have never seen or imagined before. The strong point is of course the Cineflex consisting of an HD camera mounted on a 5 axes gyrostabilizing system attached to a helicopter which keeps it perfectly steady. You will see a wild beast in close view and then the camera zooms out until you realize you are kilometers away from it and finally you can see a whole mountain. The aerial filming is worth all the money. But there is more: you can see in slow motion a shark in the air, out of the water while catching a seal or you can see on fast forward a flower opening or a mushroom grow or how the colour of the trees changes with the passing of the seasons. And there are many, many more outstanding things to watch and learn. After viewing this extensive documentary you may get an ideea of how big and complex this world is and how small and overated our civilisation is. You may realize that we, humans, the only species capable of altering the enviroment are however just a particle of dust on the evolution scale. The final conclusion: this is a must have, you won't regret buying it, not for one second.

These days, excellent TV channels like Discovery and National Geographic, coupled with advances in camera technology and our appetite for documentaries, mean that nature docs are getting a little tedious perhaps. Watching yet another lion soap opera, complete with Disney-style names for each animal character, we could be forgiven for losing interest. Thank goodness then for the BBC's commitment to pushing the envelope and bringing us something truly breathtaking and worthy of our time. The format of this series is well-documented here. But no piece of prose can hope to really convey what's on display in this wonderful piece of natural history. Get this in your "cart" and see for yourself. Apart from the actual footage, which stands on its own in its brilliance, there are two other key aspects which make this a real joy and take it to another level: The first is David Attenborough. His voice is peerless in tone, his comments informative and eloquent in this era of "dumbing-down", and noticeably restrained - he knows that he doesn't have to explain everything when you can see things unfolding in front of your eyes. The second is the "diaries" feature, which gives a "behind-the-scenes" look at some aspect of the filming of each episode. It highlights the difficulties involved and the dedication required (many, many months of patience in most cases) to get that one breathtaking shot, and really adds to the experience. With a wide-ranging selection of flora and fauna in each episode, there is a huge variety of creatures and features to keep you glued to the screen. Everyone will have their favourite habitat - for me "Caves" was the most mysterious, and therefore the most amazing. But all contain revelations. At this price versus running time, the Box Set is tremendous value for money. You can't lose.

Probably the best documentary ever made. During the first episode, I was doubtful about the content. The topic shifted every few seconds, never focusing on one animal long enough to say anything of any educational value. However, after a few episodes, it all became clear. This series has a massive scope. As the name suggests, its a documentary about the entire planet. As the series goes on, it returns to topics briefly introduced in previous episodes. Its nice to revisit what we only got to glimpse previously. The series ends with two full length documentaries on only one animal each - specifically desert lions, and specifically snow leopards. Well chosen, as those were the animals that intrigued us most on their five minute slots in previous episodes. All the information from the series becomes relevant and involving. This series is a structural and educational marvel. The photography is the other aspect of this that makes it the best ever made. Its so well done you could cry. I'm glad I bought the HD-DVD version, as it just leaves your jaw hanging in disbelief. This series was made for HD-DVD, (although its out on Blu-Ray too nowadays.) The image is the clearest and most detailed I've ever seen, and what better way to showcase its HD credentials than with massive panoramas of the planet, flocks of birds a billion strong, closeups of birds of paradise revealing every feather, mountain ranges where you can actually sense the enormity scale, etc. Its like being there. If you ever get the chance to see it on HD-DVD, ho wow, you just have to do it. Yes. Probably the only nature documentary which would've pulled crowds in at cinemas just like Hollywood blockbusters. It was so highly rated for a reason.

Mi sono imbattuto in quetso prodotto quasi per caso mentre ero alla ricerca di qualcosa che potesse farmi brillare gli occhi e gustarmi appieno la qualità del bluray. Ho trovato il cofanetto giusto! Questa è la versione inglese con 6 dischi contente 11 documentari, ognugo della lunghezza di una 50ina di min., audio e sottotitoli esclusivamente in inglese ma per chi mastica un po di questa lingua, non troverà nessuna difficoltà nel comprendere la voce narrante del famoso David Attenborough, grande narratore e divulgatore scientifico. Per quanto riguarda la qualità sono rimasto molto soddisfatto: il 90% delle immagini presenti, sono veramente pultie e nitide e tifanno venire voglia di partire all'istante per osservare ad occhio nudo le meraviglie della natura. Perchè oltre ad essere spettacolari questi documentari sono il frutto di un grande ed oneroso lavoro che ci permette di assistere a riprese inedite riduardo alla natura selvaggia. Per chi cerca qualità ed è amante dei documentari, a questo prezzo( l'ho pagato 27 euro, 10 in meno rispetto alla versione italiana con 4 dischi) è un acquisto obbligato!

It is hard to find a starting point in reviewing a film series that has set such a high standard of achievement. I frequently found myself pausing, rewinding and replaying multiple segments of each eposide, fascinated with the extent to which these expert filmmakers went to capture such amazing footage. What sets this "nature documentary" apart from all that have come before it is the expert utilization of a multitude of filmmaking tools reserved for big budget TV commercials, music videos and feature films. Examples can be seen right from the first episode, where the use of a motion control rig and time lapse photography shows the full, month long transition between seasons on the arctic tundra, and long distance, high speed lenses capture the frolicking of a polar bear and her cubs. The African wild dog hunt segment made use of a high-tech helicopter HD camera mount, formerly used exclusively by the military. Even small clips that take you into the next act are amazing, unparalleled photographic achievements. Photographic and technical wizardry aside, the mandate of this series was to show the planet and it's non-human inhabitants as they've never been seen before. In this respect, the producer, Alistair Fothergill, and his team of hundreds have far exceeded their goal. This did not come about without putting in a mammoth amount of sweat equity. In watching the 10 minute diary segements after each episode, one sees the drive and determination of the crew, sometimes up to three years of hiking and filming, to capture a few minutes of rare footage. A previous reviewer has referenced the snow leopard and shark footage, I would like to add the pirhana feeding frenzy and stork migration over Mount Everest as truly awestriking segments as well. The narration by David Attenbourough adds a gentle backstory and a few exclamation points to footage that could stand alone without it. A 5.1 soundtrack, and BBC Orchestra score give a compelling reason to turn up the volume, sit back and enjoy the HD glory of this absolutely flawless presentation. This is a must see series for children and adults alike... awesome... awesome... awesome!

他のレビュアーが大絶賛しているように、「映像」に関しては付け足す言葉はもうありません。 さらに次世代DVDplayerとあわせてHD／BD版の購入を検討しなくてはならなくなるほどの素晴らしさです。 値段に関しては、確かにco.ukや.comのほうが数千円安いです。 しかし、今ここで注文して、明日DVDplayerを買いに行けば、 明後日には大自然の素晴らしさを堪能できます。 日本語版のあまりの高さに躊躇したかた、ここで買いです。 躊躇している時間を映像を楽しむために使いましょう。

Worst DVD ever. Doesn't play on any device - with any DVD player. Glitchy and makes for one horrible viewing experience when it does play.

DVD版を持っていたのですが、さらに美しい画質で見たくてこちらブルーレイを購入しました。 内容は相変わらず素晴らしいです。地球の美しさを感じます。